Process of revivifying catalysts.



[UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARLEY J. MORRISON, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESN'E ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE HYDROGENATION COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

PROCESS OF REVIVIEYING- CATALYSTS.

1,203,233. No Drawing.

genation of fats, oils and the like. The most direct way is to dissolve out the fats, etc;,

with a suitable solvent, then reduce in an atmosphere of hydrogen at a suitable temperature. It has been found, however, that there'is much organic matter present, which is not soluble in any of the ordinary commercial solvents, and when it has beensought to-bur-n out this organic matter difficulties arise. If a reducing temperature or temperature below the point of ignition in the air is employed, the material is apt .to char, leaving a great deal of carbon in the material. If'the material is heated in an oxidizing atmosphere andat a temperature which will burn out all the organic matter,

so itis found that/it is not catalytically active when reduced in hydrogen. Further it is very diiiicult to burn ,Olltcompletely a light pulverulent material without frequent turning o'ver,-to exposethe unburned portion to 'the air. In turning it over, it dusts easily, entailing losses, if means are not provided to catch it by precipitation of some sort, and return it to the heating zone, to which point it must be brought because it will always 40 contain considerable carbon from the soot formed by the organic matter. To overcome these difiiculties, I have discovered, that if the material as it comes from the filtering or settling apparatus, either after'being extracted with a suitable solvent or direct, con

taining'all the oil and organic matter, is subjected to pressure, preferably infla hydraulic press, at about 2000 pounds per square inch, 1

' itwill extract 'much' of the oil of the unextracted material. It will form. cakes or briquets of either, which can be readily and i Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1916.

' Application filed June 12, 1914. Serial No. 844,807.

completely burned out, without turning over to expose it to the air, as the lumps allow a free circulation of air, After the material is'sufliciently burned'(a small per cent. of carbon does not interfere), it is macerated with Water and sufficient acid, preferably a mineral acid, is addedto dissolve all the metallicportion. This is done preferably in a suitable vessel which contains a me' chanical agitator or other device to keep the material in suspension. When the metal or oxid is dissolved and still while agitating, the metal salt is precipitated as a hydrate or carbonate by any of the well known reagents. I prefers'odium carbonate. It is now washed practically free of anysoluble salts .Which would interfere with its activity,

2'. e. salts which would act as poisons either before'or after reducing, such'assodium sulfid or sodium sulfate. I prefer a washing filter press for this purpos It is now dried, ground and reduced inn atmosphere of hydrogen. It will now b found to have regained its original activity.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is I lfiThe hereindescribed process of regenerating metalliferous catalysts which have served for the hydrogenation of-fats'and oils, which consists in subjecting the spent material containing the catalyst to pressure suflicient .to express the .bulk of the fatty material and to form'th e residue into a coherent cake or briquet, burning out residual organic matter from the said briquet, and recovering the metal therefrom in catalyti cally active form. 2. In a process of regenerating metalliferous catalysts which have served for the'hydrogenation of fats and oils, the steps which consist in subjecting the spent material containing the catalyst to pressure sufficient to express the bulk of the fatty material and to form the residue into a coherent cake or briquet, and burning out. residual organic matter from the said briquet.

HARLEY J. MORRISON.

Atte'st: a

EARL'W. Gnimnf, J ANNA F. DIENST. 

